Highland Park council approves Habitat development at Old Deerfield Road, delays contested crosswalk decision

Highland Park — The City Council on Feb. 9 approved five linked land-use actions to convert the site at 1660 and 1700 Old Deerfield Road from light industrial to residential use, adopting an omnibus motion that included a rezoning ordinance, final plat of resubdivision, a special-use permit for an off‑street parking lot, a development agreement and a plat of dedication.

Mayor Nancy Rotering opened the meeting and highlighted the council’s priorities before the vote. After hours of staff briefings and public testimony, the council voted 5–0 to adopt the measures as amended. Mayor Rotering said the city would continue to protect public safety and infrastructure while supporting thoughtful growth.

Why this matters: The roughly 27‑acre site is one of the larger developable parcels in the city; the project will add housing, including affordable units, and reconfigure parcels and public-rights-of-way. Neighbors pressed elected officials about pedestrian safety and neighborhood impacts during an extended public‑comment period.

What the council approved: Staff presented revisions to three documents in the council packet and said the developer agreed to additional contract language and security. Corporation Counsel summarized a new developer commitment that places $25,000 into an escrow fund the city may use at its sole discretion to address unforeseen construction or build‑out issues; if unused, the money will be returned to the developer.

“Because of the size and scope of this development, the developer said they will put $25,000 into an escrow that gives the city the ability to determine when the project is at 90 percent occupancy and how to use the funds,” Corporation Counsel said during the presentation.

Public safety and crosswalks: Dozens of residents spoke during the public‑comment period. Several neighbors urged the council not to install a marked crosswalk across Ridge Road at Devonshire Court, arguing the proposed location sits near a curve and creates sight‑line and child‑safety risks. Sandra Lurie, a nearby resident, told the council the crosswalk was a “dangerous and bad idea” and urged alternatives such as moving the crossing or adding a sidewalk connection at Winthrop.

Developer and staff response: Zach Zoller, a representative of the Habitat Company, said the developer had installed irrigation to improve a landscape strip near the Bluegrass restaurant and that the crosswalk was a parks‑district recommendation; staff noted the crosswalk site met sight‑line standards in the packet’s safety assessment. The council and staff agreed that the proposed crosswalk will be revisited: the approved motion ties final crosswalk decisions to an updated traffic study and to a review at or before 90 percent occupancy.

Buffer and easement condition: Councilmembers also pressed the developer to increase landscaping buffers between the new townhomes and an adjacent commercial parking area. The motion authorizes increasing Exhibit G’s buffer by up to 2.5 feet, but only if the easement holder for the adjoining lot consents; if the easement holder does not agree, the project remains approved without that change.

Votes at a glance: The council took an omnibus vote on five related items (A–E) for 1660–1700 Old Deerfield Road and approved them as amended, recorded 5 ayes, 0 nays.

What’s next: The development will proceed under the approved documents and the city’s standard permitting process, including required traffic and environmental studies (the record shows the developer will pursue No Further Remediation determinations with the Illinois EPA as needed). The Devonshire/Ridge crosswalk will not be installed as a final requirement now; staff and the developer will analyze it during the updated traffic study and at the 90 percent occupancy review called for in the development agreement.

Reporting note: Quotes and attributions come from council proceedings and public comment recorded in the Feb. 9 council meeting transcript.